2013 lexus es350 Model Overview

Vehicle Overview

Sometimes, stepping outside of your comfort zone can lead to exciting new experiences, but for those who wouldn’t dare step out of those parameters, there’s the Lexus ES. A large front-drive luxury sedan, the ES 350 V-6 and ES 300h hybrid I-4 completely flies under the radar for being, well, underwhelming.

Introduced as a new, sixth-generation version for the 2013 model year, the ES still maintains several of its predecessor’s qualities, and adds some new ones. The five-passenger midsize luxury sedan used to be based on the Toyota Camry, but has switched over to the Toyota Avalon’s longer platform, which significantly increases legroom. Underneath the skin, the ES 350’s hardware remains the same, with a smooth and powerful 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 268 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque, sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic. In MT testing, the Lexus ES 350 accelerated from 0-60 mph in 6 seconds, while it reached the quarter mile in 14.4 seconds at 99.3 mph. Although the ES’ numbers are nothing to scoff at, we still didn’t find it to be an athletic car. As for fuel economy, the ES 350 achieves an EPA-rated 21/31 mpg city/highway, but for those who want more efficiency, there’s the 2014 Lexus ES 300h. The ES 300h was all-new for 2013, and it utilizes the 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine and electric motor from the Camry and Avalon hybrids, which together make a combined 200 hp. A continuously variable transmission delivers that power to the front wheels. The ES 300h is EPA-rated at 40/39 mpg.

A standard on both cars is the Drive Mode Select, which allows the driver to choose eco, normal, or sport settings to alter the response of the throttle and power steering assist. “In the ES 350, you’d be hard-pressed to notice much difference between any of the three, but in the ES 300h the sport setting really juices-up the throttle; the car fairly leaps away from stoplights,” we said in a review. In a comparison involving three midsize luxury sedans, the Lexus ES 350 finished last behind the Buick LaCrosse and the Hyundai Azera. Although we noted it was a competent car, it didn’t raise the bar enough compared to the car it replaced. “It actually seems louder and coarser on the road than its predecessor,” we said.

What’s New for 2014

The bulbs in the ES’s fog lights have been changed from LEDs to HIDs, and inside, Bamboo trim has been added to the interior selection. Heated and ventilated seats are now available with the NuLuxe trim, as well as perforated leather seats.

Key Competitors

Sum Up

2013 Lexus ES350 Pricing

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price

$36,370

Certified Pre Owned Pricewhat is this?

$23,300

Certified Pre-Owned Price is the approximate price a consumer can expect to pay at a dealership for a used vehicle that has passed the manufacturer's certification process. This price applies only to vehicles covered under an automaker's CPO program, not to a dealership's own "certified" used price.

Recalls

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 19, 2012 to October 27, 2015 and 2013-2015 Lexus ES350 and ES300h vehicles manufactured June 18, 2012 to July 6, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with a Pre-Collision System (PCS) as optional equipment. In these vehicles, the PCS may unexpectedly activate and apply the brakes when the radar detects a steel joint or plate in the roadway as an object.

Remedy

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain PCS components, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this campaign are F1V and F2E.

2013 Lexus ES350 News and Reviews

Toyota president Akio Toyoda used a press conference in New York to reveal that the automaker will start building the Lexus ES 350 sedan at its plant in Georgetown, Kentucky in 2015. The U.S. is the largest sales market for Lexus, and the ES is the top-selling model here.Toyota plans to invest $360 million to upgrade the Georgetown facility, which…

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